Player-piano.



J. LEISCH.

PLAYER PIANO.

APmcATlon FILED APR.2|. |913.

1,212,869. Patenmd Jan.16,1917.

1. LEISCH.v

PLAYER PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED APII.2I, I9I3.

Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH LEISCH, OF TRYON, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR TO THE JOHN CHURCH COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO. A CORPORATION 0F OHIO.

PLAYER-PIANO.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

Application led April 21, 1913. Serial No. 762,606.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH LErsoI-r, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Tryon, in the county of Polk and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Player-Pianos, of which the following is a full, clear, and. exact description, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention has relation to player pianos in which the piano keys are operated by pneumatic action, controlled by means of a tracker board over which is fed a. perforated sheet, whose perforations are adapted to admit atmospheric pressure in selected tracker tubes carried by the said board.

The object of my invention is to provide a construction for such pianos whereby selected notes may be accented, thus carrying a melody-along with an unaccented accompaniment, and whereby the relative strength of tone between melody and accompaniment may be varied further at the will of the performer, and whereby general fortissimo and pianissimo effect may be gained without disturbing the relations.

The invention consists of that novel construction and arrangement of perforated music roll, tracker tubes, pneumatics and valves, to be hereinafter specifically pointed out and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of one of the loud and soft boxes. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of one power pneumatic with its direct controlling and auxiliary controlling pneumatics and valve. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation, partly in section, of a portion of the pneumatic chest, showing the base and treble divisions of the loud and soft control. Fig. 4 is a plan view illustrating the music roll and tracker tube opening. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a single tracker tube showing the new branching feature.

I have shown in the drawings no view of an entire pneumatic chest with its connections, conceiving this to be unnecessary in view of the fact that it is not desired to claim any especial arrangement of power pneumatics, and also that the arrangement of a pneumatic chest to accommodate the devices to be described would present no difficulty to one skilled in the art. I have shown in Fig. 3 the manner of dividing the chest into base and treble parts by means of the wall A.

The tracker tube lis divided into the branches 2 and 3, of which branch 2 admits atmospheric pressure to rthe direct pneumatic system. As illustratin any desired system for direct operation o power pneumatics, I provide the vacuum chamber 4, with the bleed 5 opening into the tube 2. The pouch 6 is located over the opening of the tube 2 into the vacuum chamber, and carries the primary valve having the disks 8 and 9 and the stem 10. The raising and lowering of the primary valve by means of the pouch alternately opens to atmospheric or vacuum connection the secondary tube 11. The secondary tube opens into a secondary vacuum chamber 12 over which opening is placed the pouch 13 which carries the secondary valve. The secondary valve has a stem 14 and the disk 15 which opens and closes the passageway 16 leading from the power pneumatic. to the vacuum chamber 12. The valve stem 14 finds a guide in any usual manner in the opening 17 from the passageway 16 to the atmosphere. The power pneumatic into which the said passageway leads is constructed in any ordinary manner with a fixed member 18, folds 19 and a movable member 20. The movable member carries the extension 21, adapted to contact with the lug 22 of the sticker 23 of the piano action. The movable member of the bellows carries within a contact cushion 24. This cushion contacts with the movable member 25 of a small bellows (or pneumatic if desired) 26, which bellows is adapted to serve as a stop for the movable member 20 of the power pneumatic, and which constitutes the essential feature of the construction within the power pneumatic. Leading into the bellows 26, whose fixed member is that of the power pneumatic, is an opening 27. From this opening the tube 28 leads to the chambers, valves and pneumatic to which atmospheric pressure is admitted by the branch 3 of the tracker tube 1.

The branch 3, into which leads the bleed 29, opens into a vacuum chamber 30. Over the opening is located a pouch 31 of material considerably less elastic and light in weight than the pouch 6 in the direct controlling system for a purpose to be hereinafter explained. This pouch carries a valve having a stem 32 and disk 33. rlhe disk is located in a chamber 34 which leads into the tube 28 of the interior bellows, and is adapted to open this chamber to the vacuum chamber 30 and close it from an upper chamber 35 which is connected with the loud and sott box and is normally open to the said chamber. If owing to the toughness of the pouches 6 and 3l, the former is raised so quickly upon full exposure of a tracker slot that it gets ahead of the latter; this getting out of time may be counteracted by a regulation ot the toughness oi the pouch 31. Comparative toughness is, moreover, merely my preferred form for regulating sensitiveness ot pouches or pneumatics, and l do not wish to be limited to it alone, as other means might readily be contrived. Thus it can be seen that it the tough pouch 31 is raised by a strong admission of air at atmospheric pressure, the interior bellows of the power pneumatic will be deflated into the vacuum chamber 30, allowing the unhampered action of the said power pneumatic; and it can further be seen that no matter what condition of pressure may prevail in the chamber 35, it will be cut oil from communication with the interior bellows when the pouch 3l is raised.

lt will be apparent by reference to lT 3, that the chambers 35 and 30 are common to ,the entire base or treble system, and that lslits or perfor-ations l38, of a width considerably less than the width of the ducts 136 with .vhich they are to register'. ln making up the roll, all notes desired to be brought out above accompaniment, melodies and thematic notes, are cut in the music roll in wide slits 139 equal to the width ot the ducts. By this means reduced atmospheric pressure is admitted to the tubes wherein it is no-t desired to have maximum stroke, which pressure will torce up the pouch operating the primary valve in the direct system, and will not be able to torce up the pouch operating the valve in the interior bellows system. "When it is desired to have maximum power, then a wide slot is provided which allows tull atmospheric pressure in the tube, and overcomes the greater resistance to suction of the tough pouch in this secondary system. Y lt has been stated that the operation of this pneumatic pouch 31 throws the tube 28 to the inferior bellows, out of connection with the chamber 35, which said chamber is connected with the loud and soft box. rlhe connection so mentioned is by means of the tube 36. There is a loud and soft box for the treble and one for the base, and one connection is necessary for each one in the said chamber, 35 being common to all the supplementary pneumatic series of treble and base respectively. By controlling the pressure within the chamber 35, it can be seen that all oit the interior bellows not thrown out of connection with the chamber 35, are thereby controlled in common. lt is the purpose ot the loud and soft box to give this control, or in other words to permit the changing of the strength of tone of the accompaniment portion ot a series of notes without allecting the melody or solo portion. This apparatus consists in a common chamber or channel 37, provided with connections 36 aforementioned, and with ports 38 to atmosphere, 39 to air at pressure greater than atmosphere, and 40 to a vacuum or pressure. below atmosphere.

A chamber 4l is provided, adapted to contain the air at pressure greater than atmosphere, and a bellows ll2 located tierein adapted to carry the valve 4:3. This valve has disks 44- and 1-5 connected by the stem 46, which when seated close the ports 33 and 39 above mentioned respectively thus admitting atmospheric or pressure greater than atmosphere to the common chamber 37. Leading into the bellows 42 is the passageway l? which has openings l-S and 49 to the atmosphere and to the pressure chamber respectively. Between these openings reciprocates the valve disk 50, carried by the stem 5l. rl`he stem is attached to a pouch 52 which is located over the opening o' a tube 53. The tube 53 is kept normally under compression through the bleed 5ft. and the operating connection 66 (Fig. l) leads from the tube 54C to the keyboard ot the piano (not shown). `When the tube 53 is opened to the air, however, the pressure in the chamber al deiiates the pouch 52, closing thus the port i9 to the bellows passageway, and said port being` closed del'lates the bellows 4:2 through the port 48. By doing this the alve i3 is allowed to tall admitting compressed air to the chamber 37. rEhis compression is admitted into the tube 23 by the various connections described and makes a greater resistance in the interior bellows ot the power pneumatic, thereby stopping the stroke ot the movable member of the said power pneumatic. The opening ot 'this series to a vacuum in a like manner removes resistance from the stroke of said movable member. To accomplish this. vacuum chamber 56 is provided, into which opens a tube 57 having a bleed 58. @ver the opening is located a pouch 59 carrying a primary valve with disks 60 and 6l, which open or close to air or vacuum the secondary tube 62. This secondary tube opens into vacuum chamber 63, said opening being covered by the pouch 64e. rI`his pouch carries a valve whose disk 65 is adapted to open and close the port 4:0 above referred to as admitting vacuum to the common chamber 37. The port 40 leads into the vacuum chamber 63 and naturally the raising of the disk 65 admits the vacuum to the chamber.

Applicant has now described his device with running comment as to method of operation. Details of passageways, tubes, pneumatics and valves are necessarily incident to such a description, and applicant of course does not wish to limit himself to any specific form or shape of pouches, valves, passageways and the like.

Applicant does not desire by his description of details, without calling attention to the possibility of the use of other details of like function, to limit himself to any more detailed construction than that set out in his claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a player piano, a power pneumatic having a movable member, an air cushion stop for said movable member, means for varying the pressure of air in the said air cushion, and means independent from said f varying means for deflating said air cushion whereby said cushion is withdrawn as a stop.

2. In a player piano, the combination with a series of power pneumatics and air cushion stops therefor, of means of exhausting the air in the air cushion stops in selected pneumatics of the series, and means of varying the pressure of the air in the remainder of the air cushion stops of said series without affecting said selected pneumatics and stops.

3. In a player piano, a power pneumatic having a movable member, an air cushion stop for said movable member, and means for varying the pressure of air in the said air cushion above or below atmosphere.

4. In a player piano, a power pneumatic having a movable member, an air cushion stop for said movable member, means for varying the pressure of air in the said air cushions above or below atmosphere, andA means independent from the said varying means for deiating said air cushion whereby said cushion is withdrawn as a stop.

5. In a player piano, a power pneumatic having a movable member, an air cushion stop for said movable member, means for varying the pressure of air in the said air cushion above or below atmosphere, and means for deflating said air cushion comprising a vacuum chamber, a pouch therein, connection fromthe chamber to said cushion, and a valve on the pouch, said valve positioned to cut o the means of varying pressure and to open the connection between the vacuum chamber and said cushion.

6. A means of controlling a primary and auxiliary pneumatic, comprising a tracker board having a slot therein, a primary and an auxiliary pneumatic, connection from each to the slot, mea-ns in connection with the primary pneumatic for operating a desired device, said primary pneumatic being adapted to respond to all exposures of the tracker slot, said auxiliary pneumatic being adapted to respond only to full exposures of the slot, and a roll adapted to pass over the tracker slot, and having slots of partial and full width for partial and full exposures of the slot.

7. A means of controlling a primary and auxiliary pneumatic, comprising a tracker board having a slot therein, a primary and an auxiliary pneumatic, connection from each to the slot, means in connection with the primary pneumatic for operating a desired device, said primary pneumatic having a sensitive pouch adapted to respond to all exposures of the tracker slot, said auxiliary pneumatic having a less sensitive pouch adapted to respond only to full exposures of the slot, and a roll adapted to pass over the tracker slot, and having slots of partial and full width for partial and full exposures of the slot.

8. In a player piano, a tracker having a slot therein, a power pneumatic having a movable member, an air cushion stop for said member, a pneumatic for controlling the power pneumatic, a pneumatic for controlling the air cushion stop, connection for both pneumatics with the said tracker bar slot, with the pouches of said pneumatics of varying sensitiveness for the purpose described.

9. In a player piano, a power pneumatic having a movable member, an air cushion stop for said movable member, a pneumatic adapted to control the power pneumatic, a pneumatic adapted to control the air cushion stop, a tracker having a slot therein, a roll having perforations of different width to partially and wholly expose said slot, connection for both controlling pneumatics with the said tracker bar slot, with the pouches of said pneumatics of varying sensitiveness for the purpose described.

10. A player piano, a series of power pneumatics having movable members with air cushion stops for said members, means for varying the pressure of air in the said air cushions above or below atmosphere, and means for deflating selected air cushions of the series comprising a series of vacuum chambers, pouches therein, connections therefrom to said. air cushions, and valves on the pouches, said valves positloned to cut 130 oil' the means of varying pressure and to 'open the connection between the vacuum Leraeee perforatons of d'erent Width adapted to partially expose said slots and to Wholly eX- pose selected slots, connections for each of the controlling -pneumatcs of the series, with a tracker bar slot, with the pouches of the air cushion pneumaties so tough as to require full exposure of the slots for the purp ose described.

JOSEPH LEISCH.

Attest:

0. H. FOSTER, vC. C. HAIGETT.

Gepiez mf. this patent may be obtained for re cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patentes, We shingtou, D. 

